


The New Kid

by mcgarrygirl78



Series: Thicker than Water [33]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-20
Updated: 2011-10-20
Packaged: 2017-10-24 19:36:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/267092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Morgan, Elle, JJ, Penelope, and finally Emily came to his door and he let them all in. His life was better because of his family.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The New Kid

**Author's Note:**

> This story is written in the Thicker than Water universe where most of the BAU are kids and teens. They’ve been talking up a storm lately and imagine my surprise when this character made herself known to me here.

“Hey.”

As Jason walked into the Georgetown Diner and saw Dave, he smiled. It had been a couple of weeks; they were both busy family men. Dave was Mr. Mom about 70% of the time. He took care of 18 month old Nora and Nicholas, who was a year older than his sister. While mostly retired from the FBI, he still taught classes at the Academy and did a little consulting. For the purposes of his blossoming writing career, Dave’s first book would be out this summer, he was fully retired. That suited him just fine…he loved his life.

Dave stood from the booth and extended his hand. It was always important to him to treat Jason like a man. That wasn’t just because he was almost nineteen. In many circles that wasn’t considered a man yet. Kids these days were coddled well into their 20s and sometimes their 30s.

Jason hadn't been coddled since he was eleven and his parents were killed in a car crash. Erin had this tendency to want to baby him and suffocate him. There was no use trying to break his wife out of any of her habits, good or otherwise. Dave valued his life too much.

Jason seemed to handle it in stride most of the time. That was another sign to Dave, not that he needed one, that Jason was a grownup. The average teenager would’ve thrown a major tantrum about it by now. Jason couldn’t be bothered with such shenanigans.

“How are Nick and Nora?” Jason asked with a grin as he sat down across from him.

Dave smiled too as the server came to the table. Jason ordered a root beer, no surprise, and a glass of water. He said he needed a few minutes for his food order.

“Are you the one who started that?” Dave asked.

“Nope, Emily did; and it stuck. I don’t think Erin realized it when she picked Nicholas.”

“As long as she didn’t pick David then I was happy. We named him after the lawyer who helped push the adoption through.”

“That was nice.” Jason replied.

“That was easy. There are probably a million and three boys’ names out there. Knowing Erin we probably still wouldn’t have one.”

Jason laughed, nodding. He knew Erin and Dave knew her better. Little Nicky would still be Baby Boy Rossi for sure. When the server returned they were still laughing about it. Jason stifled his laughter long enough to order the chicken club, no bacon, with extra mayo. Dave wanted the Reuben. When the server walked away again, Dave looked at Jason.

“I can't believe you're 19 and finishing up your first year of college. How was it?”

“It had its own special set of challenges. The work wasn’t too bad but I had to create and stick to a schedule. That’s rarely easy when you have six other schedules to take into consideration. Having Emily and Hotch there has been a godsend. They have done so well being the de facto parents when school keeps me really busy. They're indispensable and I need to find some way to thank them. Morgan too…he's given up his fair share for munchkin duty.”

“They care about their family.” Dave replied. “That’s why they do it. It’s not about what they get in return…they get the love in return. Penelope, Spencer, and JJ are going to grow up to be amazing people because of you guys. Morgan as well; he's already on his way. I struggle not to think about how it would’ve been if you didn’t find each other.”

“Thank you.” Jason smiled. He never wanted to be too prideful but he was proud of his family. If a guy was allowed to be prideful about anything then it should be that. “So you invited me here to pat me on my back?” he asked. “Father’s Day is over a month away.”

“No, but I did want to talk to you about something important.” Dave said. “Please don’t assume that I just said those great things to you because I'm about to ask for a favor, Jason. I meant every word of it.”

“I would never think that. You need a favor from me?”

“I hate to call it that even though it probably is.” He cleared his throat. “I should probably get to it.”

“OK.” Jason had no idea what was coming so he braced himself.

“There's a kid I know; her name is Ashley and she needs a home. She’s been living in group and foster homes on and off for about a year and a half but things are going from bad to worse. She runs away all the time and this time I don’t think they're gonna bother to look for her. There are so many kids there with all their own problems. Ashley’s gone now so they may even be relieved.”

“Where did she run to?”

“My house…hence the dilemma.”

“How do you know her?” Jason asked.

“I worked a case about nine months ago of a couple that was murdered. The wife worked at the group home was Ashley was living and we spent our fair share of time there poking around. I admit to taking a shine to the kid…she has pluck.”

Their dinner arrived and Dave thanked the server.

“How old is she?” Jason asked.

“She’ll be eight in October.”

“Oh wow, she's a little kid.”

“Yeah, and she has serious pluck. She ran away to find me in Chevy Chase, Maryland…from North Dakota.”

“Whoa.”

“Yeah.” Dave nodded.

“So, um…” Jason wasn’t sure what to say next.

“She can't stay with me, Jason. Believe me, I would have no problem adopting her and raising her right. She deserves a good home, a loving family, and a chance in hell. I don’t think she has that back in North Dakota. But Erin is dead set against her staying with us. She had several reasons for it, some valid and some not so much.”

“Like what?”

“We already have two toddlers. There's no way we can give Ashley the attention she needs. Erin doesn’t want to be the mother of three, which I understood and respect. She also thinks Ashley has an abnormal attachment to me and that makes her nervous. I don’t know if she does or not but Erin is really freaked that Ashley might try to hurt Nicky or Nora in a bid to be the top dog in my heart. I honestly think she’s been watching too much Lifetime but you know once she gets an idea in her head…”

“Is Ashley dangerous?” Jason asked.

“I don’t think she is. I've been a profiler for over 25 years and every test I've thrown at her she’s passed with flying colors. She has no sociopath tendencies. She doesn’t mutilate dolls, sleeps through the night, doesn’t bed wet, and shows genuine emotion, affection, and sense of humor. She doesn’t study people to pick up those cues; they are her own. There are some issues but I think a real family and some stability will iron out the kinks.”

“You want us to take her in?”

“Yes.” Dave replied. “I can't believe I'm even asking this but I need to know she’ll be loved and safe. I also need to keep a little eye on her though I promise to maintain my hands-off approach when it comes to your raising your family. I’ll be Uncle Dave just as I've always been.”

“Erin said she wouldn’t endorse another stray.” Jason said.

“She meant it too. But she's not the only one with connections. I can have all of Ashley’s paperwork done in a phone call or two. Sadly, she's a step away from slipping through the cracks. I truly think that’s why she ran away…she wanted to save herself. She hardly knew how but she had to try.”

“Pluck.” Jason replied.

“She has it by the ton.”

“Well it’s definitely something I’d have to discuss with Emily and then the whole family. I don’t see them rejecting a child after what they’ve been through. She would be the youngest, not taking away anyone’s thunder or rank on the totem pole. Believe me, kids worry about that.”

“Jason, I'm from a family of seven; you don’t have to tell me.” Dave said. “Spencer won't be the baby anymore.”

“Somehow I think he’ll appreciate that. Tell me more about Ashley. Why did she live in a group home? Are both of her parents dead?”

“Yes and no.”

“That sounds like a complicated answer.”

“It’s a complicated case. I worked it about seven years ago…the Redmund Ripper. His rap sheet was long and prolific. So was his list of victims. He terrified North Dakota; they'd never seen anything like this before. Toward the end he started killing his victims to leave no witnesses. I'm sorry I have to tell you this.”

“I can handle it.” Jason said. “If I'm gonna be in the BAU one day I’ll have to.”

“So you made your decision?” Dave asked.

“Yeah,” Jason nodded. “I think I could do good work there. You're the first person I'm telling, which I think it’s wholly appropriate.”

“Me too.” Dave grinned. Then his face turned serious again. “So, the bum’s name was Beauchamp, and soon enough we connected the four murders to a string of unsolved rapes, as many as 16. Ashley’s mother was one of his victims. She was young, living as much on the edge as one can in North Dakota. She decided to keep the baby but never really got over the trauma of what happened to her. She committed suicide before Ashley turned six.”

“What happened to Beauchamp?”

“We caught him and put him in prison for the rest of his natural life. He doesn’t know about Ashley. I doubt she knows about him unless someone told her. It wasn’t hard to put two and two together for those close to her mother that she was pregnant by her rapist. The girl had a small amount of family but they weren't close and they didn’t want Ashley. That’s probably for the best…they would’ve mistreated her.”

“So she’s seven?” Jason asked.

“For a few more months, yeah.”

“And she’s already here in the area?”

“She's staying at my house and its getting more intense by the hour.”

“OK, I’ll talk to Emily about it tonight and the family this weekend. I want to take her in; if we can be a family to her then she deserves it. Is there anything else you need to tell me?”

“No,” Dave shook his head. “That’s really all there is. I appreciate this Jason, even if it doesn’t work out. I'm gonna find a good home for Ashley but I wanted to go to family first. Its strange, as I said I have a lot of siblings, but you were my first thought. I've seen you work miracles with children and she might need a miracle.”

Jason nodded. He wasn’t going to turn away a kid who needed help; he would never be able to live with himself. Morgan, Elle, JJ, Penelope, and finally Emily came to his door and he let them all in. His life was better because of his family. He believed it all happened for a reason; this was his life. It wasn’t like other kids’ lives at all but it was his and he was happy. If Ashley Seaver was meant to be a part of it, then she would be.

***

“Emily, can we talk?”

“Huh?” she put her hand over the phone.

“We need to talk.”

“Oh, c'mon in…hold on.” She went back to the phone. “Hey babe, I gotta boog. I’ll see you in first period tomorrow. Oh my God,” Emily guffawed. “Shut up! I’m hanging up now, mmm hmm, goodnight.”

Emily hung up the cordless and put it down in the window seat beside her. She was curled up there, smoking a clove and talking to Lindsay on the phone. It was almost prom time and they were coordinating parties and plans. Not that they needed an excuse to gab on the phone for hours and hours. With Morgan now in high school too, the family just acquired a second phone line.

Jason knew it was the right thing to do for his sanity. The girls were already calling it off the hook for Morgan. Emily and Hotch mostly used the other line, with JJ occasionally having long conversations with Will about who knows what. Spencer talked to his mom on Sundays and Penelope occasionally chatted with Kevin. He preferred to come over and see her in person. Jason wondered if one day Ashley would have friends to chat with.

“You don’t mind if I smoke do you?” she asked.

“Yes, but since you're doing it already I guess I won't complain. You really should quit though.”

“I know, I know. It helps with the stress. Its just one a night but you're right. I'm gonna have to replace one addiction with another though.”

“You want me to say something dirty, don’t you?” Jason asked with a smirk.

“If you do, Gideon, you started it; I didn’t.”

She smiled at him and put the clove out though she was only three-quarters of the way through. She hated to waste, they were so expensive, but she knew Jason wasn’t overly fond of it. They were in her room but she would respect his feelings. She could always light up again when he left. She had a little while before bed.

“I had a really interesting dinner with Dave tonight.”

“What's up? Are Nick and Nora OK?”

“Yeah, we didn’t talk much about them but there was another child he wanted to tell me about.”

“Who?” Emily asked.

“Her name is Ashley Seaver and she's at a crossroads. She lives in a group home in North Dakota but ran away to find Dave.”

“She came from North Dakota to Maryland on her own? That sounds like a Penelope move.”

“Dave said she had pluck.” Jason replied.

“I’ll say.” Emily nodded with a smile.

“She needs a place to stay…she needs a family. Dave thought ours might be a perfect match.”

“I'm figuring Erin thinks hers isn’t.”

“She doesn’t want to adopt Ashley, no. She worries that some of Ashley’s issues have created an abnormal attachment to Dave. She worries Ashley might hurt Nicky and Nora to get more of Dave’s attention.”

“Oh my God, is that possible?”

Jason told Emily everything that Dave told him. He wasn’t going to keep anything from her and wouldn’t let her make a decision without knowing all the facts. This would change all of their lives and they wouldn’t be able to change their minds once they said yes or no.

“Of course we’ll take her in.” Emily said when he was done.

“Emily, it’s a big step.”

“I know. But what's the alternative? If she gets sent to another foster home or group home she’s just going to run away again. The next time she might be lost to the street forever.

“Pluck or not, she won't make it out there.” she went on. “I'm not gonna let that happen; I've been there. I wasn’t there for long but I've been there. We have room, we have love, and we have money…lets do it.”

“I love your determination.” He couldn’t help but smile. “This is gonna be weird to say but you’re gonna be like her mom. Are you ready for that?”

“Its pretty much what I do now.” Emily replied. “I know she’ll need a little extra attention in the beginning and I’ll make sure she gets it. But I think being around kids close to her age like Penelope and Spencer to help show her the ropes will be even better for her. She needs someone to talk to, play with, share with…I know what its like to be alone. She needs a family. We’re a family, right?”

“Absolutely.” Jason nodded. “Are you sure about this?”

“Yeah, I am. When are we going to talk to everyone else about it?”

“I told Dave I would do it this weekend. I thought Saturday brunch would be a good time. We’re all together and we can discuss it.”

“Well I’ll let the family vote stand but I'm all for it. I think everyone else will be too. You opened your door to every single one of us and gave us a chance. I can't see them turning someone else away who needs us.”

“OK.” Jason nodded.

“You want this right?” Emily asked.

“Want is the wrong word I think. I want Ashley to be somewhere safe where she’s loved. I want that for all kids. If that place ends up being here, then its here.” Jason held out his hand. “C'mere.”

Emily smiled, reaching for him. She sat down beside him on the bed, holding their joined hands in her lap.

“We’re weird teenagers, aren’t we?” she asked, leaning her head on his shoulder.

“To say the least.” He replied.

“I don’t care, I still think we’re awesome.”

“You're probably the only person who thinks I'm cool so I'm not going to complain.”

“Jason, we all think you're cool. You have no idea how much your family loves you. Erin and Dave love you; Nicky and Nora love you. Maybe Ashley Seaver will love you too. You’re a pretty amazing guy…don’t even question it.”

“I wish I could put into words how hearing that makes me feel.” He said.

Emily sat up, turned to him, and took his face into her hands.

“We don’t need words. I don’t think we have since the first night we met.”

Jason smiled. Their initial meeting was nothing to smile about but he knew from the beginning just how special she was. He couldn’t fathom that she would come to mean as much to him as she did but Jason knew Emily was special. He knew she needed to be there with them and complete their family. But maybe it wasn’t as complete as they thought…maybe there was room for one more link in the chain.

“I think you should kiss me.” Emily said, pulling his face close to hers.

“If we don’t need words, that’s as good a place to start as any.”

Jason dutifully complied with her wishes. God, Emily was so in love with him. Emily Prentiss loved Jason and she loved her family. She wanted to open her arms to Ashley Seaver if she needed someone. Emily wasn’t quite sure what to expect or what kind of challenges they would face but she was ready to try. None of them were perfect; Ashley didn’t need them to be. She just needed them to be family and they were all very good at that.

***


End file.
